VOICE – an opera in one act
Libretto by Ron Whte
Music by Lee McClure
Film of concert reading
CAMI Hall, NYC
Nov. 14, 1992
Film with subtitles produced and directed by Lee McClure
© 2014 Lee McClure, all rights reserved
Cast:
Robert Osborne, baritone, role: Ron Whyte
Iraida Noriega, mezz-soprano, role: Ms Ronnie Stier
Musicians
Bill Grossman, music director, pianist
Lawrence Goldman, double bass
Audio/Video editing, titles, subtitles, montages, post-production:
Brian O’Neill
Videography:
Suzanne Kaufman
SYNOPSIS:
Ron Whyte’s autobiographical libretto for the opera VOICE explores his 3-year relationship between Ms. Ronnie Stier who is a quadriplegic confined to an electric wheelchair and himself who must use crutches for his artificial legs.
Without sentimentality, the opera explores their three-year relationship
of daily multi-hour phone conversations and infrequent meetings,
leading up to Ms. Stier becoming a full-time disability activist.
Juggling their fight against discrimination of the disabled with their precarious struggle for survival, they are put in a balancing act upon which their lives depend.
A longer scenario and complete libretto can be found in the score for VOICE.
÷ ÷ ÷ ÷ ÷
REVIEW
About the Nov. 14, 1992 performance, Anne Emerman, former Director of the New York City Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities, wrote: “VOICE is powerful and authentic to the feelings and experiences of people with disabilities.”
When VOICE is performed with Whyte & McClure’s companion opera, Mother And Child, they are collectively called Life Songs. The film of Mother And Child, also with subtitles, can bee seen at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtiSiK_hZOA&t=2391s This film of VOICE can also be viewed on Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZ6cSRehZ34&t=1sTimeline:
0:00 title credits
0:31 about the opera
1:07
What are we doing? 2:27
If it doesn't, then that's too bad 3:02
But you know I am 4:47
A voice comes from the past 6:13
Our meetings together are seldom 8:12
Sometimes I say to myself 9:48 transition accelerando
10:11
It is night 12:36
Did you see me? 14:19
They look at Greta Garbo too16:05
What have you got to lose? 17:14
Blackmail them with the truth 18:25 biographical notes – end credits
.
Live Music
Archive
Librivox
Free Audio
Metropolitan Museum
Cleveland
Museum of Art
Internet
Arcade
Console Living Room
Open Library
American
Libraries
TV News
Understanding
9/11
